🏰The Norman Conquest of 1066

How William of Normandy took the English throne and changed England.

1. William invades

   ▸

   In 1066 an invasion led by William, the Duke of Normandy in what is now northern France, landed in England to claim the throne.

2. Battle of Hastings

   ▸

   William defeated Harold, the Saxon king of England, at the Battle of Hastings. Harold was killed in the battle.

   and at

3. William the Conqueror

   ▸

   William became king of England and is known as William the Conqueror. The Norman Conquest was the last successful foreign invasion of England.

   so the victor became

4. The Bayeux Tapestry

   ▸

   The battle is commemorated in a great piece of embroidery known as the Bayeux Tapestry, which can still be seen in France today.

   the battle recorded in

5. The Domesday Book

   ▸

   William sent people across England to list every town, village, landowner and their animals. This survey was called the Domesday Book and still exists today.

   the new king ordered

6. A changed England

   ▸

   The Conquest brought big changes to government and society, and Norman French, the language of the new ruling class, shaped the English language.